Various devices and methods have been utilized to assist in conducting bodily fluids. Blood pumps with inflow and outflow cannulae assist the heart in circulating blood in a patient experiencing congestive heart failure, for example, when a transplant organ is not available or the patient is not a suitable candidate for transplant. The blood pump may be fluidically attached to the heart and/or other vascular structure by the cannulae and then located remotely within the patient or left to remain external to the patient.
The conventional cannula design for these procedures is a molded polymeric structure that may include a reinforcement structure, for example, a metallic or polymeric braid or coil, for reducing the likelihood of kink formation. While this solution has been effective for its intended purpose, the reinforcement structure limits the ability of the physician to customize the shape of the cannula to a particular patient's anatomy.
In addition to the reinforcement structure, some cannulae include a malleable device, such as a tube or rod, extending the length of the cannula for retaining a shape of the cannula. However, some of these known, conventional malleable devices require assembly by the physician or may move relative to the reinforcement structure. As a result, the shape of the cannula may inadvertently be altered and/or the cannula material may become damaged. Therefore, there remains a need for a cannula design that addresses one or more of these issues.